The Wilmingtonian., 1887-04-23
AbstractIng Bills.

TIE custo - If abstracting or stealing bills
from the custody of tine officials of the Leg
islature OF which there have been twS dis
tinct instances at oast on record this session
is one that deserves more than simple amin
adversiou. ...-.-
The act is simply nothing more nor less
than brigandage. IL seems to us that there
should be enacted law recognizing such
an act AS a crime rather than misdemeanor
and providing rigorous penalty for infractiop
OF such law.
We all remember when Councilman
McKenna was accused some months ago OF
iorcibly keeping possesslon of or running
away with tue original OF a municipal bill
" hat CONSERVATION 1t caustd. And the con
sternation arose not fiom the mere fact that
Ine bill had beeu abstracted but tnat All ofti-
cial should be- accused OF it aud that the ticL'
ing was possible Of being accomplished with
such iacility.
Now, bill awaiting enrolment at Dover
though not de tacto Is de jure u law-the law
ot the land The expressed wish of the people
through their chosen representatives. And
1t seems to US tina. no glaver public crime
could be imagined than to oVerty essay or
consplre to nulliiy that law by stealing.
The more the point is considered it ap-
pears the more urgert that such contin-
sency as the one referred to be met by le-
gal enactment providing heavy fine and pun
| ishment tor such outrageous brigandage as
stealing a bill from the clerk of either Senate
ot House.
Ii appears that there are snch unscrupu-
,uus and vulgar thieves existing who have
no conception Of what is ordinarily respect
aole conduct, aud who are unntterably dis
qualified to stand within the precincts Of tue
state House. "-.4.=
Itsa positive disgrace to the State OF
| Delaware that its citizens should have to
read a narrative of the theft such as the
following, cut from last Tuesdays issue o.
Epsry Ersning;
Tor the suppression OF policy gambling oaus-
| I'd sensation this afternoon. The bill had
passed both houses, been signed by the
speaker of the Senate and was ready for the
signature of the speaker of the House. 1t
had been returned TO the House for that pur-
pose and placed in the clerks desk from
! which 1t is thought to havo been stolen last
| Thursday. Tne story is told that ''a prom
inent politician of Wilmington had been
heard TO ask how much it would cost to get
rid of the bill. Whatever foundation there
may be for this, its disappearance is yer,
generally attributed to some emissary of the
| gambling fraternity. When the theft was
discovered, Mr. Smslley az once introduced
a duplicate of the bill, which was railroaded
through the House, sent to the Senate, read
twice and called up for passage in that body.
Mr.. McWLoltsr then asked for the recon-
INITIAL of the bill, saying that he wished to
,ffer supplementary section relating to tn.
oucket shops. After adjournment, on tn.
request of Mr.. Smalley aud the representa-
CIon of that gentlemen that any amendmen,
would jeopardlze the bill, MIR. McWhorte
agreed to withdraw his proposition and let
the measure go through the Senate to-mor-
row in the shape In which it came from tn,
House. 1t is pretty safe to say that it will
take sharp thief to get away with this du
picate bill. ."e-